Two Dozen Basic Management Principles -- Pt. 18

The next thing he knew, he was next to Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the legendary Duke University basketball coach. Coach Jim Boeheim from Syracuse stood off to one side. Coach K put his hand on Lopez’ shoulder. “We watched your news conference.”

“You did?” Lopez could not believe this.

“We sure did. Listen, I need you to do me a favor. I want you to tell your story to my team exactly like you told it in that news conference. Tell these guys what it means to be an American and what it means to wear that jersey. I don’t’ think any of us understand it quite like you do.”

Lopez walked into the green room and into the presence of athletic royalty. The room was filled with guys he’d only watched on television. Kobe Bryant sat on one side of the room near Lebron James. Carmelo Anthony, who went to college in Syracuse, sat close to the front. The greatest basketball players in the world filled this room and their coach wanted Lopez to talk to them.

Lopez’ knees nearly knocked and his voice cracked a little when he started talking. But he did exactly what Coach K asked him to do. He told his story. Inside the room, every eye locked onto him. All of those players sat in complete silence as he spoke. They soaked in every word.

After Lopez finished speaking, Coach K got up. “Now you guys know what this is all about. You are ambassadors for our great country. Now go out there and get it done.”

The team broke out in huge applause. Afterward, Lopez posed for photographs with the team. One player after another shook his hand and told him how much they appreciated what he had said. Lopez walked out of the room with a standing invitation to come hang out with the team whenever he wanted.

 

Management Lesson #21 – Public Speaking

The number one fear (in most surveys) is the fear of speaking in public. That is a shame. I would argue that the number one differentiator for those in management is the ability to speak publicly. As such, you should develop sufficient public speaking skills to become effective in presenting and explaining your management vision.

 

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles -- Pt. 17

Chapter 15

President Bush

 

“Where’s Lopez? I want to meet Lopez.”

Lopez heard his name but could not believe the speaker was looking for him. For eight years he had dreamed of running for the United States in the Olympic Games, but this went beyond anything he could ever have imagined. The President of the United States was now looking for him.

“Over here, sir,” one of the coaches said.

President Bush smiled and headed over toward Lopez. He had just delivered a speech to the entire U.S. delegation. The entire delegation consists of every athlete and coach for every sport in the Olympic games. In his speech, the President tapped into his old cheerleader self: “Get out there and kick some butt!”

After his speech, he went around the room shaking hands. So many famous athletes Lopez admired were there: Duke’s “Coach K,” Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwayne Wade of the Dream Team. Michael Phelps, who went on to win eight gold medals was also there.

Yet out of all these incredible and famous athletes, the president wanted to see Lopez! A nobody, a lost boy! For eight years he had dreamed of running in the Olympics but never dreamed this.

“Mr. President, I would like to introduce you to our flag bearer, Lopez Lomong,” the head of the U.S. Olympic Team said. The flag bearer leads the team into the stadium. It is one of the highest honors any Olympic athlete can receive. Unlike medals that are won in competition, the flag bearer is elected by his teammates. Out of the 596 athletes representing the United States in these games, only one can lead the team into the stadium carrying the flag, and the one that the athletes chose was Lopez. The vote was not even close.

President Bush shook his hand. “Lopez, I’ve heard a lot about you. I just wanted to let you know how excited and happy I am to have you here. Welcome to America. When you go out there and carry that flag tonight, enjoy the moment. It is your flag.”

“Thank you, sir,” Lopez said. He could not believe he was shaking hands with the president. His mind raced back to watching him in New York the day after the 9-11 attacks. He had inspired Lopez as he stood atop a pile of rubble with the rescue workers, a bullhorn in his hand.

A half-hour later, an U.S. Olympic Committee official came over and took Lopez by the arm. “Come with me,” he said. Lopez assumed he needed to go somewhere for instructions on how he was to carry the flag properly. Instead, he was taken into a room off to one side. And there in the room, was the President.

“Lopez,” he said when he saw me, “there’s something I forgot to tell you.”

“Yes, sir,” Lopez said.

“Lopez, son, when you go out there tonight carrying our flag, don’t let it touch the ground, buddy.”

 

Chapter 16

The Flag Bearer

Lopez selection as the flag bearer was seen as by reporters as possibly being a political statement. Around the time of the Olympic trials, Lopez had joined a group of athletes call Team Darfur. Team Darfur spoke out against the genocide occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan. There, the Sudanese government in Khartoum committed the same kind of atrocities they committed against Christians in Lopez’ home region of South Sudan during the civil war that lasted twenty years. This time, Arab Sudanese began exterminating African Sudanese even though they shared the same religion. The government of Sudan supported and aided this genocide.

Lopez had spoke out against this genocide right after he qualified for the Olympic team. Since the Chinese government financially supported the Sudanese government (in spite of these atrocities), a reporter asked Lopez if his election had political implications. Lopez dodged the question. “I’m so proud to be an American and raise that flag proudly.”

At the morning of his new conference, the flag bearer speaks to the press. Lopez was prepared for the inevitable questions about his selection. As important as genocide was, Lopez knew what he had to do. He sat down and proceeded to tell his story. He talked about the day he was taken from his church and of being held in the rebel prison camp. He told the story of his escape through the wilderness with his three angels and of his years in Kakuma. He shared the story of watching Michael Johnson run in the 2000 Olympics and the dream that Michael birthed in him. Then he explained how America opened its arms to him and gave him this great opportunity. “I am so thankful for this privilege of getting to put on this jersey and represent my country,” he said.

 
Once the press was finished with him, he walked out in the hallway. The president of the USOC walked over and said: “Good job, Lopez. You were great in there.”

“Thank you. I spoke from the heart,” Lopez said.

“Lopez, I need you to do one more thing before you go. Coach K would like for you to say a few words to the basketball team.”

Lopez’ jaw hit the floor. “The Dream Team?”

The president of the USOC laughed. “Yes, the Dream Team. Follow Susan here and she’ll take you to them.”

Management Lesson #20 – Humility

Humility is not taught in management courses or in many leadership courses, for that matter. Organizations want their leaders to be visionary, authoritative, confident, capable, and motivational. Yet, humility is the primary requirement for leadership. Or stated in a different manner, humility is the foundation of leadership. Why is humility essential to leadership, it is because humility:

• Acknowledges our sinfulness,

The Psalmist writes: “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; then I shall be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression” (Psalm 19:12-13).

This acknowledgement of man’s sinfulness has been a foundational principle of all successful governments. For example, this acknowledgement led our founding fathers to build into the very fabric of our governmental structure, a separation of powers. Each branch of government – executive, legislative, and judicial – is bridled by a series of checks and balances. Why? As Lord Achton expressed in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
 

• Comprehends our creatureliness, and

The second reason that we need humility in leadership is because it comprehends our creatureliness. The word “humility” itself comes from the Latin word humus, which means "dirt" or "earth." Behind the concept of humility is the realization that life inevitably ends with a return to the earth, "from dust to dust," as the expression goes. Since this inglorious end awaits all of us, it hardly behooves us to be boastful or full of ourselves. Ultimately we all turn into dust. Thus, true humility never lets us lose sight of our human mortality with all of its limitations (Armour, 2007).

• Authenticates our humanness.

The third reason that we need humility in leadership is because it authenticates our humanness. Or as John Baldoni states in his article entitled “Humility”: “Humility is a strand between leader and follower that underscores one common element – our humanity.” We humans are frail creatures. We have our faults. Recognizing what we do well, as well as what we do not do so well is vital to self-awareness and paramount to humility. Humility keeps us attuned to our frailty, our inadequacy, and our vulnerability (Baldoni, 2007).

 

 

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles -- (Pt. 16)

Chapter 14

Olympic Trials – Part 2

 

The second injury of Lopez’ career came ten minutes before the biggest race of his life. Over the three previous days, Lopez overcame the disappointment of the jersey pull in the 800 meters final and had breezed through the preliminary 1500 meter rounds. His body felt strong. His hamstring felt so good that he almost forgot he had injured it.

Right after he completed stretching for the 1500 meter final, his right foot came down on what appeared to be a normal patch of grass. It was a hole! His foot came down awkwardly, twisting his ankle on the same leg that had the bad hamstring. Pain shot up his leg. He tried to jog it out but he couldn’t put any weight on his right foot.

“Second call, 1500 meter men’s final,” the track announcer said. Lopez headed straight to Dr. Wharton. “I have a problem.”

“What happened?” Dr. Wharton asked.

“I twisted my ankle in a hole while doing strides.”

“Are you serious? Here, lay down. Let me see what I can do.” He grabbed Lopez’ foot and made a couple of adjustments.

“Third call, 1500 men’s final.”

His ankle still did not feel right but he had to go report for the race. They weren’t going to delay the finals until his ankle healed.

Lopez grabbed his backpack and started over toward the track. As he walked, he prayed. “God, I know You gave me this dream for something bigger than myself. You’ve done too many impossible things in my life so far for me to believe that You want my dream to end like this.”

Lopez took another step. The pain in his ankle disappeared. In fact, his ankle felt like he’d never run a race in his entire life.

“Runners, to your marks…Get set…” The gun sounded. Lopez took off. The first two laps went according to his game plan. He stayed alert on the first lap and got into position on the second lap. The pace picked up on the third lap. Lopez moved closer to the front, ready to strike. The hamstring felt great. There was no pain in his ankle. God performed a miracle on his leg. There was no other explanation that Lopez could come up with.

The pack rounded the turn and headed up the straightaway for the bell lap. All of a sudden, Lopez felt a push on his back. Someone had pushed another runner and that runner fell into Lopez. His feet flew awkwardly and Lopez struggled to keep his balance. Fortunately, his feet came back under him. No one fell. The bell sounded. It was time to grab the dream.

Lopez was right where he wanted to be at the 300 meter mark. He started his kick. This was his opportunity to make his dream a reality. With two hundred meters to go, he entered the final curve. He pushed his body harder than he had in any race in his life. With 150 meters to go, in the middle of the curve, running as hard as he could, his hamstring tightened with a yank. Pain shot up his leg. Lopez fell back. Runners passed him. For a moment, he could not run full speed.

He ran out of the curve and onto the final straightaway. Ninety meters to go. Eighty-nine. Eighty-eight. He fell further behind.

Then something remarkable happened, something Lopez could not explain. At the eighty-seven meter mark, a burst of energy came over him and neutralized the pain in his leg. His feet flew. He passed one runner, then another. Up ahead, he saw one runner and then another cross the line. No problem. His goal was the top three. With one final burst of speed, he passed the last runner in front of him and crossed the line in third place.

Lopez fell to the ground, overjoyed. “Thank you, God. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You did this, not me!”

 

Management Lesson #19 – Thank God & Those Who Got You There

It is easy to take credit for your successes. The reality is that most of the credit is shared. Your success was only possible because a sovereign God entrusted you with talents (you are but a steward of His gifts). Your success was aided by those who got you there. Make sure you thank God and those who assisted you in making your success possible.

Two Dozen Basic Management Priniciples -- Pt. 15

Chapter 12

Professional

 

Lopez went back to Flagstaff after returning from Africa to get ready for the fall semester and the upcoming cross-country season. But this season, something had changed. On long runs, Lopez’ mind raced back to Sudan. He saw the faces of the children as they played in the dirt. Here he was, working on his college degree and those children had no hope of any kind of education. He felt guilty being there.

 

“I have to do something,” he thought. “God, help me know what to do.”

The money his American parents sent his African family each month made a tremendous difference in their lives. But Lopez did not feel right about asking Rob and Barb to continue supporting his family. After Dominic, Peter, and Lopez graduated and moved out, the Rogers brought in three more lost boys to live with them. The Rogers had done enough for Lopez already. Lopez needed to take over this responsibility himself.

After he won the 1500 NCAA Championship, reps from different shoe companies let him know in a roundabout way that they would be open to sponsoring him when and if he decided to turn pro. Lopez spoke with Coach Hayes and they decided that Lopez should stay through the 2007 cross-country season, turn pro in December, and train exclusively for the 2008 Olympics in the Spring.

“You can always negotiate to have your sponsors pay for your college so you can go back to school during the off season,” Hayes told Lopez. Lopez liked the sound of that. He wanted his degree but he knew he had to make one more phone call.

“Hello,” Barb said.

“Hi Mom, it’s me, Lopez”

Lopez’ heart raced because he did not know how they would take his news. “I have decided to drop out of school and turn professional in track,” he said. Before Barb could say anything, he added, “I only have three semesters of work left to finish my degree, which I can do during the off seasons. I give you my word that I will get my degree.”

Neither of his parents said anything for what felt like a long time (Dad had joined the call in progress). Finally Dad said, “You don’t have to do this because of the money. You know that, don’t you?”

“Dad, Mom, you have been great parents to me. You have given me so much. But now it is time for me to support myself and to support my family in Sudan.”

“We…” Rob tried to interrupt.

“I have to do this,” Lopez said, “and now is the best time to do it. The Olympic trials are in June. If I am going to make the team, I need to start training full-time. Coach Hayes said I can work out with the Air Force Academy team (Coach Hayes had moved to Air Force in the summer of 2007). He’s even going to let me live with him until I am able to move into the U.S. Olympic training center in Colorado Springs.”

Another long pause on the other end of the phone: “As long as you finish your degree, we support your decision 100 percent,” Barb said.

Lopez finished the 2007 cross-country season placing third, individually, at the national championships. He turned pro and moved to Colorado Springs to train alongside the Academy track team.

He ran as a pro for the first time at the Adidas Classic in Los Angeles. While not winning, he ran well enough to reassure him that he’d made the right decision. The real highlight of the event did not take place on the track.

As Lopez was cooling down from his final event, his agent met him. All of a sudden, his agent said, “Hey look, there’s Michael.” Lopez jaw hit the ground. “Let’s go say hello,” his agent said. Before Lopez could reply, his agent had already taken several steps toward the man.

“Michael,” his agent said, “I would like to introduce you to Lopez Lomong. Lopez,” he said turning toward me, “this is Michael Johnson.”

Lopez felt like he had just stepped into a dream. Standing in front of him was the man who changed the course of his life eight years earlier without even knowing it. He looked very different live than he did on that small, grainy, car-battery-operated television. Lopez looked up at him. He was much taller than he appeared on television.

“Mr. Johnson,” Lopez said, his voice cracking, “it is an honor to meet you.”

Michael reached out and shook Lopez’ hand, “Call me Michael,” he said.

Lopez could not wipe the goofy grin off of his face. “I watched you run in the 2000 Olympics while I lived in a refugee camp. I am a runner today because of you.”

“That’s kind of you to say, Lopez,” Michael said with a smile. “I know all about your story. I have to tell you, I’ve followed your career. You’re an excellent runner. I’m proud of you and all you’ve accomplished already. You keep running the way you are now, and you’ll be running in the Olympics yourself soon. I know you can do it.”

Three meets later, Lopez beat the Olympic 1500 meter standard time of 3:36. He now automatically qualified to run in the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, in June.

 

Chapter 13

Olympic Trials – Part One

The first injury of Lopez career came two weeks before the Olympic trials. At the end of a workout while running in stride down the backstretch of the track, something popped in the back of his right leg. When he tried to take another step, pain shot up the back of his leg. His leg would hardly move.

As a coach, Coach Hayes had seen many runners pull a hamstring. Basically, you can’t run with such a pull. The leg tightens up when you exert it and you are done. Rest is the best treatment, about two months of rest. Lopez had two weeks.

The trainers and medical staff at the U.S. Olympic training center were amazing. Over the next few days, they used ultrasounds, ice baths, and pressure massages to try to get Lopez back on the track. Lopez followed a set of specialized exercises to release the tension in his right hamstring and improve his mobility.

The therapy regimen loosened up his leg enough that he could run up hills. Coming downhill was a different story. Since he had to keep training, the trials were so close, he ran as hard as possible uphill and limped back downhill.

Coach Hayes was concerned. Lopez said: “Don’t worry, Coach. This is working. I’ll be fine by the time the trials start.”

We leave for Eugene next week,” Coach Hayes replied. He was worried. Lopez was not.

Lopez never for a moment thought he would not run in Eugene. God had brought him this far. He was confident God had something bigger in mind than letting an injury stop Lopez just short of his goal. Making the Olympic team transcended sport. Running for the United States on sports’ biggest stage would give Lopez a larger platform on which to raise awareness for Sudan and make a difference for the people there.

Lopez knew his hamstring would improve once he went to Eugene for the trial because a secret weapon waited for him there. Phil Wharton and his dad, Jim, were the best of the best when it comes to musculoskeletal therapy. They know how to fix athletes quickly. With the assistance of a special diet and special massage sessions, Wharton made it possible for Lopez to go out for the trials.

The trials kicked off, but his event, the 1500 meters was still a few days away. Lopez decided he needed to test his leg prior to the first 1500 heat. Having entered both the 800 and the 1500 before the trial started, he went to Coach Hayes and said: “I’m going to run the 800 just to test my leg speed.”

He looked at Lopez like he was crazy. “The 1500 is your best shot at making the Olympic team.”

“Yes, I know,” Lopez said.

“Then why would you choose to run the 800 instead?”

“I’m not. I think I should run the first round of the 800 just to give my leg a little workout before the 1500 starts in a few days.”

Lopez meant what he said until he actually won his heat. “One more round,” he told Coach Hayes. Then he went out and won that race as well. Now Lopez was in the 800 meter finals! With the finals and a spot on the Olympic team right in front of him, he could not walk away. He had to go for it.

Coach Hayes came to him. “Lopez, you look awesome out there. However, we cannot jeopardize your chances in the 1500 by letting you run the 800 final.”

“I understand,” Lopez said, but I think I can do both.”

Lopez felt great the morning of the 800 final. He started well and fell into the middle of the pack out of the first turn when the runners were allowed to move out of their lanes toward the inside of the track. This left him in fourth position. By the time he came up the home straightaway, he had moved up to second place.

The pack headed into the first curve of the second and final lap. His leg felt strong. He thought: “I can do this.” He remained in second all the way down the backstretch.

All of a sudden, a runner darted around him. Other runners started passing him as will until he found himself in fifth place. “Not a problem,” he thought. “I will just out kick them.”

He dug deep and kicked it into another gear. His feet tore at the track. He knew he could not catch the top two runners but that did not matter. He just needed to finish in third place to punch a ticket to Beijing.

As he approached the finish line, something held him back. Someone behind him had grabbed hold of his jersey! As he tried to pull free, the guy on the inside lane dove toward the finish line. That runner tumbled over the line just ahead of Lopez. Lopez’ Olympic dream had been stolen by a pull of his jersey.

Management Lesson #18 – Don’t Allow Setbacks to Stop You

It is easy to quit the first time you encounter a failure. It is even easier to quit if the effort to achieve an objective was massive. Remember: the sun will always rise tomorrow. Don’t allow setbacks to stop you in the achievement of your dreams.

 

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles (Part 14)

Chapter 10

NAU/NCAA

The 2005 track season found Lopez at NAU. That season he ran the 800 almost exclusively. In the 2006 track season, he ran a little bit of everything – the 800, relays, an occasional 400, and the 4-by-400 relay. The goal of Coach Hayes was to find out which event suited Lopez the best.

Toward the end of the 2006 season, he ran the 1500 in a dual meet and in the conference meet. This event, though a tactical event, was exactly what Lopez was best suited for. He chose to enter this event at the NCAA championships.

The first lap of the 1500 doesn’t count for anything. Rabbits sprint to an early lead but they never last. “Relax, relax, relax,” Lopez could hear the voice of Coach Hayes in his head.

He rounded the first turn at a pace he liked. The leader did not take off like a rabbit, nor did he hold back and make the race too slow. Lopez trotted along through the first lap, right in the middle of the pack. The leader ran the first lap in just over fifty-eight seconds. Lopez ran it in sixty. “This feels good,” he thought.

Before the first turn of the second lap, Lopez sped up, moving from sixth to fourth. The overall place did not matter as much as the distance he wanted to keep between himself and the leader. The second lap is all about positioning oneself. No one has ever won the race on the second lap but many have lost it there. Lopez had a kick and he wanted to be in a position to use it.

Lopez crossed the start line and began lap three, the lap where you put yourself in position to strike. The field continued at a minute-a-lap pace, which is very fast but not too fast to maintain. Lopez stayed less than half a second behind the leader. Fatigue starts to build in the third lap. Feet grow heavy. Legs weaken. Lopez stayed focused on running his race.

They crossed the start line and the bell rang. The leader through the first three laps started to fade. Leo Manzano, the 1500 meter indoor champion, moved into the lead. Lopez sped up to follow right behind him. As he approached the three hundred meter mark, Lopez started his kick. He darted into second and pushed himself as hard as he could.

Manzano pushed himself as well. With fifty meters to go, Manzano stayed one step ahead of Lopez. At the thirty meter mark Lopez pulled even. At twenty meters he pulled ahead. Lopez never saw Manzano again.

Lopez cruised through the finish line, took a few steps, punched the stopwatch, then collapsed on the track in joy. “Thank you, God. Thank you. May You multiply this gift You have given me more and more.” He prayed to himself.

 

Chapter 11

A Detour

On July 4, 2007, Lopez became an United States citizen. He was eligible to run in the Pan Am Games but someone contacted him with a better offer, one for which he had waited seventeen years.

“This is Mary Carillo with HBO’s Real Sports,” the woman said on the phone. “Our producers watched you win the 1500 in the NCAA Championships and were intrigued by your story. We would like to do a feature on you, if you are interested.”

“Of course, yes. Thank you,” Lopez said. Anytime anyone asked him to tell his story, he accepted the offer. Running gave him a platform to talk about South Sudan and the lost boys. He had to use it. He assumed a crew from HBO would fly out to Arizona, ask a few questions, and shoot some footage of him running. Mary Carillo had something much bigger in mind. Mary Carillo and HBO planned to take him to meet his mother in Kenya.

They arrived in Nairobi and spent the night. In the morning, Mary and the camera crew prepared to drive him to Juja, 18 miles away. A few blocks from his mother’s apartment house, people took notice of their vehicle. The driver slowed down as a group of children ran toward their car.

“Wait a minute!” Lopez said. “I recognize those boys. Stop the car.” The car stopped. Children jumped on the running boards and reached into the windows. Lopez leaned out and called over to two boys – who he had seen in pictures from a friend who had made a previous trip to Kenya. “I know you. You are my brothers!”

Lopez motioned for them to come over to him. They did, but he could tell from the looks on their faces they had no idea what was going on. They came only because of the television cameras. “How are you doing? I am your brother Lopez.” Lopez spoke in English. The boys looked on confused.

Lopez jumped out of the car. Mary followed. “These are my brothers Peter and Alex,” Lopez said. “Nice to meet you,” Mary said. The two boys stayed close to Lopez but not too close. They were still unsure of exactly who or what he was.

They were close enough now to his mother’s apartment that they decided to walk. Cameramen walked backward in front of Lopez as if he were some sort of celebrity. Mary and the HBO producer fell in behind Lopez. The farther they walked, the more the buzz around them grew.

People started dancing. Word was out: the lost boy had come home! The dead boy was back from the grave. The party had started already.

The parade stopped. The sea of people around Lopez parted. All eyes turned to the woman standing in a doorway. “Mama, it’s me, Lopez.”

“Lopepe!” she screamed. Lopez rushed over to her. She reached up to Lopez and hugged him tight around his neck. Seventeen years had passed since the soldier ripped him out of her arms.

“What’s going through your mind right now?” Mary asked.

“I’m speechless,” Lopez said. “I mean, this is my family…..unbelievable.”

Management Lesson #17 – Don’t Forget Where You Came From

It is easy to forget that what you have is often been hard-earned. It is easy to forget that you once were in the state that others are currently in. Don't allow yourself to become so calloused as to forget where you came from.

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles (Pt. 13)

Part Three

2004 – 2008

Chapter 9

Norfolk State

 

Lopez won the New York state cross-country final in his second year of high school in America. This enabled him to qualify for the national regional high school championship. He placed twelfth in the region.

In 2004, his senior year, he did even better. After winning state again, he finished in the top six of the national regionals. This qualified him for the Foot Locker National High School Championships. Though he did not win this national event, he did well enough for college recruiters to come calling.
Now a new problem rose up its ugly head. Lopez’ SAT scores kept him from qualifying for a Division 1 scholarship right out of high school. He had to look at a junior college or a non-Division 1 college. Having had his fill of the cold, Barb drove Lopez and his adopted brother Dominic (who had also just graduated) south.

On their second day of driving, they arrived in Virginia Beach, Virginia. As soon as they drove on to the campus of Norfolk State University, Lopez thought, “This is the place for me.” The campus was beautiful. The school was just the right size, not too small and not too large. Plus, it happened to be a predominantly black school which appealed to him. He did not want to stand out in this new place.
Barb arranged for him to meet the track coach but intentionally did not mention that Lopez was the number one cross-country runner in the state of New York. For her, academics and finding a place where Lopez would actually graduate meant more than anything else. Lopez still planned on running in the 2008 Olympics but he had to take care of first things first. That meant preparing to graduate college on time.

Lopez chose not to run cross-country in his first semester at Norfolk State. Nevertheless, he trained harder than he ever had before. He ran down at the beach nearly every day with the senior star of the cross-country team, Tom Hightower. As they ran, Lopez told Tom about his big, Olympic-sized dreams. Tom was a little skeptical at first. After all, Lopez was a freshman with the build of a football player claiming to be a runner who happened not be running on the cross-country team!
One day, as they were eating pizza in Tom’s apartment, Lopez told him: “In two years, I can apply for citizenship. After that, I am going to try out for the United States Olympic team.” Tom said: “I believe you. I think you can do it. But, if you want to run in the Olympics, Norfolk isn’t the right place for you.”

“What are you talking about?” Lopez asked.

“You are better than this place,” Tom said. “Lopez, you are an exceptional runner. You have more natural ability than anyone I have ever seen. But natural ability alone is not enough. There are a lot of good runners out there who never live up to their full potential. You need to go to a school that can teach you to get the most out of yourself.

Management Lesson # 16 -- Know your people. Effective senior IT leaders know their people. Lincoln revealed the cornerstone of his own personal leadership philosophy, an approach that would become part of a revolution in modern leadership thinking 100 years later when it was dubbed -- "Management By Walking Around" -- by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman in their 1982 book -- "In Search of Excellence." It has been referred to by other names and phrases, such as: "roving leadership," "being in touch," or "getting out of the ivory tower." Whatever the label, it's simply the process of stepping out and interacting with people. It is simply the process of establishing human contact. We need to know how our people will respond in any given situation. We need to know who will have a tendency to get the job done on his own, or who will be more likely to procrastinate and delay. We need to know who can be counted on in an emergency and who can't. We need to know who are the brighter, more able, more committed people. We need to know who shares our strong sense of ethics and values. The most important asset a business organization has is its employees. So why not spend some time and money striving to more thoroughly understand who are your really great employees?

“Where do you think I should go?,” Lopez asked.

"Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school sits at a high altitude, which helps distance runners. They have a coach who knows his stuff. He can get you to the Olympics.”

This decision was not so simple as waving a magic wand. First, Barb had to agree to the transfer. “Joseph, I don’t care where you go to college, as long as you get your degree. That’s all that matters to me.” Next, Coach Hayes at NAU wanted him but could not commit to a scholarship since Lopez had to first successfully pass a math test to qualify for a scholarship. Finally, when the Norfolk State coach found out who Lopez (and Dominic were), he offered scholarships to both.

In the end, Lopez chose NAU. Barb asked: “What if you don’t get into school there?”

“Don’t worry. God wants me to go there,” Lopez answered.

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles (Pt. 12)

The fourth New York snapshot involved another meeting with Rob and Barb Rogers in the Fall of 2001.

The weather turned cold early his first fall in Syracuse. At least he thought it was cold. When you grow up in a place that sits just above the equator with an average temperature of 104 degrees twelve months a year, any temperature below eighty feels like an arctic blast. By October, the temperature in upstate New York rarely climbs above seventy. Lopez thought he had moved to the North Pole.

One Saturday in October, he caught a break. The sun came out, the temperature warmed, and the Rogers suggested they take advantage of the weather and spend the day on the lake.

As they ate chicken and floated on the lake, Rob said: “You know, this is pretty much a perfect day.”

“We never had days like this in Kakuma,” Lopez said. “It was always hot and dry. The wind kicked up dust storms that made it hard to breathe. We didn’t have any grass, only dirt.”

“That had to be a hard place to live,” Barb said. Lopez could tell she had a lot of questions, but she didn’t ask them. This was the first time that Lopez talked about what life was like in the refugee camp. The Rogers never tried to get Lopez to open up about what he’d been through. Lopez didn’t want to talk much about it either. The past was the past. He had a new life in America.

However, after four months in the Rogers’ home, Lopez realized he was not here by mistake. Mom and Dad wanted him here. A little light clicked on for him during the cross-country season. They came to every single meet. They never missed one. No other parents came to all the meets. And they weren’t just there; they cheered for him and celebrated when he won like he was their real son. That’s when he started to understand that they genuinely loved and cared about him.

“Very hard,” Lopez said. He took a deep breath and started talking. He talked for a long time. The Rogers sat and listened. Lopez told them how the soldiers stole him from his mother’s arms at church and took him to a prison camp. He told them about the horrors in the prison camp. He told them about escaping in the night with his three angels and his three-day run across the savannah. He talked about day-to-day life in Kakuma and how he looked forward to Tuesday trash day for his best meal of the week.

He talked and talked. Barb cried. Rob fought back tears. That day on the lake, Rob and Barbara Rogers stopped being two very nice but naïve people who allowed him to live in their house. They became Lopez’ mom and dad.

Management Lesson #15 – Show Compassion

Compassion is one of the most overlooked of all project management leadership traits. There is a tremendous opportunity for your compassion to make a difference in how people view you and how they view themselves. Showing compassion will lead to a better experience with your staffs, create an experience that people remember (and like), create commitment, and buy forgiveness – all of which make you a more effective project manager.

The final New York snapshot during these years, occurred in the early summer of 2003. Lopez was sitting in the backyard with two other lost boys that the Rogers’ had adopted (both Sudanese from Kakuma) when an older Kakuma friend in Syracuse called him. “Joseph, someone was in Kakuma today looking for you,” he said.

“For me,” Lopez asked. “Who could possibly have been looking for me in Kakuma?”

“Your mother.”

At the urging of Barb, Lopez called his mother on a cell phone of an official at the refugee camp. His mother had not heard his voice since he was six years old. He was now eighteen. She expected the voice of a child, not a full-grown man. “No, this does not sound like my Lopepe. You must be the wrong child.”

“Mother, it is me. Lopepe. The soldiers tore me from your arms when I was six years old.” His voice cracked. Tears flowed down his face.

“Lopepe….you’re alive,” his mother said.

“Yes, Mother, I am alive.” Lopez wept. “And Father, is he…?” Lopez could not finish his sentence.

“Yes, he is alive. Where are you?”

“America,” Lopez said.

This encounter started a regular series of phone calls between Lopez and his mother. She always asked when he was coming home. He answered that he cannot come back to Africa now. She never understood how far away America was from Kakuma.  They had a variation of this conversation at the end of every phone call. She wanted Lopez back home. But Lopez could not go back to Africa. He had a dream. He needed to run in the Olympics for the USA.